The Reuters Top 100 list "identifies and ranks the educational institutions doing the most to advance science, invent new technologies and power new markets and industries".

The judges of this year’s ranking say Manchester’s jump is largely due to the University's "groundbreaking research" into the super-material, Graphene, which was isolated at the University in 2004.

The judges added: “Ever since then the university has dominated the world’s research into the cutting-edge material. Manchester is home to the UK’s National Graphene Institute, and patents related to graphene account for about a quarter of all filings from the university over the five-year period examined for this list.”

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It’s great to see Manchester’s innovative edge recognised, especially in relation to graphene and two-dimensional materials. There are hundreds of highly cited research papers on graphene published by the University and National Graphene Institute each year.

Graphene is one of the strongest materials on Earth, yet also extremely light, flexible and highly conductive; it could prove a hugely important ingredient for future innovations in electronics, energy, transportation and other industries.

CEO of Graphene@Manchester James Baker said: “It’s great to see Manchester’s innovative edge recognised, especially in relation to graphene and two-dimensional materials. There are hundreds of highly cited research papers on graphene published by the University and National Graphene Institute each year.

“To truly capitalise on this, we are also on the verge of opening the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre which will accelerate graphene commercialisation and translate research into applications alongside industry partners.”

Manchester is one of only five UK institutions to make it on to the list, which is dominated by US institutions. Altogther North America has 48 universities in the top 100, Europe has 27, Asia has 23, and the Middle East has two. There are no universities in the ranking located in Africa, South America or Oceania.

Advanced materials is one of The University of Manchester’s research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons